Combined trench-excavator and levee-builder.



No. 856,404. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

G. G. JAGOBS.

COMBINED FRENCH EXGAVATOR AND LEVBE BUILDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14, 1906.

6 SHEETS-BEIGE?D 1.

N0. 856,404. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. G. G. JACOBS.

COMBINED TRBNGH EXGAVATOR AND LEVEE BUILDER.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.14,1906.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m5 NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHIHCYON. n. c

PATENTED JUNE 11 1907.

6 SHEETS-SHEET a 0. c. JACOBS COMBINED TRENGH EXGAVATOR AND LEVEL BUILDER.

APPLIUATION FILED APB-14,1906.

Wififaaw/ I W'N www.m'

v45 NORRI: PETERS co.. wunmomu. n. c.

No- 856,404. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. G. G. JACOBS.

COMBINED TRBNGH EXCAVATOR ANDLEVEE BUILDER. APPLICATION FILED APE.14. 1906.

6 SHEETSSHBET 4 PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

C. G. JACOBS. COMBINED TRENGH EXOAVATOR AND LEVEE BUILDER.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.14,1906.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5 'ml' NORRIS PErsRs c0, wnsnmonm. o. c.

No. 856,404. PATBNTED JUNE 11, 1907.

G. G. JACOBS.-

GOMBINED TRENGH BXGAVATOR AND LEVEE BUILDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14.1906.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

ms NORRIS PEIERS co, wasxmcruu. n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES CQJACOBS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE F. C. AUSTIN DRAINAGE EXCAVATOR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORA- TION OF ILLINOIS.

COMBINED TRENCH-EXCAVATOR AND LEVEE-BUILDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed April 14,1906. Serial N0. 311.773.

T0 (ll/ l whom, it 'II'I/U/Z/ concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. JACOBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Trench-Excavators and Levee-Builders, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to machines which simultai'ieously excavate a ditch or trench, properly slope the sides of the same and build an adjoining levee or dike, at the same time dressing and smoothing one or more surfaces of the latter.

In my Reissue Patent No. 12,441 granted January 30, 1906, I have illustrated and described a machine which excavates a trench, dumping the dirt on the adjacent bank to form a dike, the machine comprising a vertically adjustable track, conforming to the cross-sectional profile of the trench, on which travels one or more buckets or shovels successively shaving ofl' layers of earth until the trench is of the proper depth when the whole device is caused to travel forwardly on temporary rails over the adjoining un excavated portion of ground which is dug out in like manner. It is to this general type of excavator that my present improvements relate and they comprise the employment of a dumping boom preferably hinged to the main frame which is adapted to be raised and lowered as occasion demands and on which travels back and forth a discharging bucket which receives its dirt to be dumped on the gradually forming levee from a digging bucket or shovel reciprocating only on the track shaped to conform to the crosssectional profile of the trench to be dug. This digging or scraping bucket travels to and fro on its track, at one end of its travel each time dropping its contents on the bank, or into the dumping bucket which carries it out over and discharges it upon the dike. The travel of the two buckets is so arranged that When the digging bucket reaches the limit of its forward travel the discharge or dumping bucket has completed. its backward travel and is beneath and ready to be filled by the upper scraping bucket. This discharge bucket in ascending the boom track, which can be adjusted to any con- Venient angle of inclination, smooths off the near face of the dike and then passes over the top of the same which it also dresses. A supplemental track over the top of the dike is hinged to the boom track section and is adjustable so that the top of the dike can be faced off horizontally regardless of the angle of inclination of the boom proper.

In order to make the faces of the dike as smooth as possible, in addition to the discharge bucket I employ a scraper which follows the bucket to even olf any inequalities, or the scraper or dresser and discharge bucket may be operated independently of each other.

My present invention includes means for dressing all three sides of the levee or dike and to smooth off the back face, that is the face most remote from the trench, I use an additional scraper track section suitably supported on the boom, preferably adjustable, on which travels another scraper or dresser.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the excavator showing the digging bucket about to begin its forward. travel and the dumping or discharge bucket at the top of the dike; Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of that portion of the machine which extends over the trench; .Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2, parts being broken away; Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the manner of discharging the contents of the digging bucket; F 5 is a cross-section of the ditch track section showing the manner in which the excavating bucket or shovel and its truck travels thereon; Fig. 6 is a left-hand end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. f with the bucket omitted; Fig. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the end portion of the boom; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a modified form of machine in which in addition to the dumping bucket is employed a trailing scraper to smooth off the faces of the dike; Fig. 9 is a plan view of the structure shovn in Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 shows a modification equipped with means for facing off or smoothing the back surface of the dike.

My improved excavator includes a frame or bridge adapted to extend over the trench and also adapted for travel longitudinally thereof on temporary rails laid on the ground parallel with the excavation. This frame includes upright posts 10 and 11 connected by the horizontal sills 12 and beams 13. Posts 11 extend some distance above beams 13, and are cross connected, this superstructure being braced by the inclined bars 14, 14. The frame also includes the vertical posts or braces 15 and diagonal bars 16. The beams 13 project beyond posts 11 their outer ends being supported by braces 17, as illustrated. By means of suitable transverse bars 18 this main frame is properly tied together laterally. This whole frame, including the boom portion, described hereinafter, may travel along the trench, the same being equipped with wheels or rollers 19 mounted to roll on temporary twin rails 20 on each side of the proposed trench. Within this main frame and vertically adjustable is a smaller frame supporting a ditch track section upon which the excavating or digging bucket reciprocates. This supplemental inner frame comprises the main upright posts 21 adapted to slide up and down on suitable guides provided on the main frame, the smaller braces 22, and the two spaced U-shaped beams 23 having the upwardly divergent legs 24 and 25 of which the latter is somewhat the longer, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Near the top and bottom margins of these U-shaped beams are angle bars 26 and 27, the beams and bars forming tracks upon which a shovel or scoop 28 reciprocates. Transverse tie bars also fasten together the side members of this frame and form withal a strong and rigid construction.

The shovel which has an open forward face and a lower sharp cutting edge 28 is mounted on a truck 29 equipped with forward and rear rollers or wheels 30 and 31, respectively, adapted to travel on the track section described above, the lower angle bars 27 supporting the bucket or shovel and its truck, while the upper angle bars 26 prevent them from rising and compel the bucket to shave off a layer of dirt as it advances. In order that this bucket may readily ride over any inequalities on the surface of the trench during its backward travel it is preferably pivoted to the truck 29 at the point 32, the construction being such that the weight of the bucket normally holds it in its lower-most position but permitting it to turn upon the pivot and ride over any irregularities on the surface of the trench or other obstruction.

The forward wheels 30 have a narrower tread than the back wheels 31 and in order to dump the bucket when it reaches the upper end of the legs 25 of the ditch track section I provide a construction similar to that shown and described in my Reissue Patent N 0. 12,441 cited above. To the outer surface of the legs 25 are attached V-shaped track or supporting members 33 the horizontal portions of which form extensions of the ditch track section for the front wheels 30 of the dumping buckets truck. At the points where the lower legs of the V-shaped members 33 are attached to the track section the flanges of angle bars 27 are cut away at 28 so as to allow the front wheels of the truck to pass therethrough on to the members 33, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, while the rear wheels 31 of broader tread remain on the flanges of angle bars 27 and travel to the position shown in Fig. 4 as the truck is pulled forwardly by its advancing cable 34.

When the shovel or bucket 28 is retracted by cable 35 which is attached thereto and is guided by the sheaves or rollers 36 the top or rear portion of the truck, as shown in Fig. 4, first travels down the inclined track 25 and then the forward rollers 30 move backwardly on the V-shaped members 33 passing through the openings 28 on to angle bars 27. Advancing cable 34 also co-acts with the sheaves or rollers 36, as shown in Fig. 1, and passes over a roller 37 at the upper end of the inclined track 25 and the sheaves 38 to one of the drums 39 of the engine and boiler 40, while the retracting cable 35 communicates with and is wound upon and paid out from the adjacent drum 41.

Hinged to the main frame at the points 42 near the lower end of post 11 is a comparatively long boom or land overhanging track section 43 trussed for the greater portion of its length by the truss structure 44. This track section is similar to the ditch section in that it consists of two parallel plates 45 having spaced longitudinal angle bars 46 and 47 forming the track. At its extreme outer end boom 43 is equipped with two eye-members or loops 48 to which are attached cables 49 passing over guide pulleys 50 mounted on the highest point of the main frame, the cables also being guided to drums 51 operated by the engine 40. By this means the angle or inclination of the boom can be varied at will.

Pivoted to the boom at the point 52 is a supplemental track section 53 equipped with angle bars 54 and 55 which co-operate with the truck of the discharging bucket, this supplemental track section being adjustable vertically and retained in position by means of the curved segments 56 attached to the outer end of the section and concentric with the pivots 52, the segments having a plurality of holes 57 through which bolts 58 may be passed to secure the segments in adjusted position to the boom near its end (Fig. 7). Reciprocating on this boom and supplemental track section is a dumping or discharge bucket comprising a truck 59 having forward and rear wheels 60 and 61, respectively, adapted to travel on the tracks, the bucket itself 62 being hinged at 63 to lugs or plates 64 depending from the truck. The forward end of this bucket is open and its lower edge 65 is sharp so that as the bucket travels IlC up the inclined face of the dike D and across the top of the same it smooths off the faces thereof eliminating any inequalities. This bucket is maintained in load retaining posi tion by means of one or more sliding catches 66 adapted to extend over the rear upper edge of the bucket, an elliptic spring 67 forcing the catches into bucket engaging position. To trip the bucket and allow the same to dump its contents I employ a bent arm 68 pivoted on the truck at 69 said arm or shaft having one or more projections 70 extending into slots in the sliding catches 66. This bucket is pulled. forwardly by a cable 71 secured at 7 2 to the front end of the truck 59, the cable passing over a sheave 73 at the end of the boom, thence over a guide pulley 7-11 at the top of the truss 44 and then over another guide pulley on the top bar connecting posts 10 to its actuating drum 75 on the engine platform at the extreme end of the structure. The retracting or rearwardly pulling cable 76 is attached to the bucket near its top so that a pull upon the cable not only retracts the truck and attached bucket but also rights the bucket to load retaining position the same being held in such position by the catches 66 which are pushed back by the curved bottom of the bucket and then spring forward over its upper rear edge. Cable 76 passes around a guide pulley 77 near the pivot 12 of the boom and then passes obliquely upward over other guide pulleys at the top of the main frame which direct it to the drum 7 8. If desired the inner end of the supplemental track section 53 may be provided with short plates 79, as shown in Fig. 9, to more or less fill up the gap between the top angle bars of the two track sections.

In order to feed the vertically adjustable ditch track section upwardly and downwardly to raise it above the level of the ground so that the whole frame may be advanced forwardly on the temporary rails 20 over an unexcavated portion of ground and in order to feed the ditch track section downwardly so as to compel the excavating shovel or bucket to scrape off successive layers of dirt I have provided vertical screws 83 which feed the vertically movable frame in substantially the same manner as is set forth in my Reissue No. 12,4 11 mentioned above. To turn these screws I employ a shaft 84 extend ing longitudinally of the frame along the top thereof, the shaft being rotatable in the bearings 85 and being equipped with bevel gears 86 meshing with similar gears 87 on the ends of transverse shafts 88, the latter having similar gears 89 co-acting with bevel gears 90 on the top ends of the upright screws. Power is transmitted from the engine 40 to these screws through the means already mentioned and through the co-acting gears 91 and 92 which rotate a jack shaft 93, the latter by means of sprocket chain 94 and suitable sprocket wheels turning the shaft 8 1 when the manually actuated clutch 95 is thrown into operation.

In order to use the power of the engine to move the whole frame or excavator on the temporary rails 20 I provide on jack shaft 93 another clutch 96 which causes the sprocket chain 97 and its co-operating sprocket wheels to rotate the longitudinal shaft 98 near the lower part of the main frame. This latter shaft transmits its rotation by means of thesprocket chains 99 and 100 [Fig 2] together with suitable sprocket wheels to the rollers or wheels 19 rolling on the temporary rails whereby the whole frame may be caused to move longitudinally of the ditch or trench.

The operation of the device is as follows Assuming that the excavating and dumping buckets are in the position indicated in Fig. 1 and that the operator of the excavator is con trolling the actuation of the drums on the engine platform, the excavating bucket 28 is caused to travel forwardly on its U-shaped track by means of the winding up of cable 34 on drum 39 and the paying out of cable 35 from drum 41. During this forward travel of the bucket or shovel its sharp front edge shaves off a layer of earth, the dirt accumulating within the bucket, and also during the forward travel of bucket 28 the discharge or dumping bucket 62 being pulled rearwardly on the boom and supplemental track sections by its retracting cable 76 its advancing cable 71 being properly paid out. \Vhen the forward wheels 30 of truck 29 reach the apertures 2S they pass therethrough on to the V- shaped supporting members 33 while the rear wheels 31 of the truck, because of their broader tread, continue their travel up to the end of the track 25, .the result of which oper ation is that the bucket is brought into dumping position, as shown in Fig. 4, and its contents dropped. The movements of the two buckets are so timed that when bucket 28 empties its contents the bucket 62 is at its rearward limit of travel directly beneath bucket 28 consequently receiving the dirt from the latter. Then as cable 35 is wound on its drum and cable 3 1 paid out from its drum, bucket 28 and itstruck 29 again right themselves and travel rearwardly on the ditch track section. At the same time the discharge bucket which has received its load passes upwardly on the boom track section dressing and smoothing the surface of the (like and also passing on to the supplemental track section dressing the top surface of the (like and when it reaches the proper point it discharges its contents. The trip lever (58 is actuated either manually by a person stationed in the rigging or by an adjustable fixed stop so as to draw back the catches 66 and allow the bucket to turn under the weight of its contents on its pivot 63 to discharge its load upon the gradually forming dike. l Vhen &

the discharge bucket again starts on its rearward movement the tightening of the retracting cable 7 6 rights the bucket so that the catches 66 are enabled to maintain it in load retaining position while the paying out of cable 71 permits the shovel or'bucket to pass down the boom track section.

Before the operation of building the dike and digging the trench is begun it has been found that it is desirable to remove the vegetation from the flat earth on which the dike is to be erected and in order to enable the excavator to perform this function the boom is lowered to ahorizontal position while the supplemental track section is turned about its hinges until it is also brought into horizontal position and in alinement with the boomsection. I/Vhen the parts are in this position the plates 79 perform no function extending idly over the adjacent ends of the top angles of the boom track. By pulling the bucket forwardly on the track sections in this horizontal position the vegetation can be readily removed from the surface of the ground and after this has been accomplished the boom can be gradually raised as the dike forms or it can at once be elevated to the proper position for dressing off the surface of the finished dike, the supplemental track section being always maintained in substantially horizontal position.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have illustrated a modi fication of my invention wherein a scraper 82 inclined with respect to its line of travel is mounted on a truck 80 which is attached to the dumping bucket truck 59 by a link 81 [Fig 9.] This scraper truck travels on the same track sections that the dumping bucket does being trailed after the bucket becarse of the link and the scraper is somewhat broader than the bucket whereby it more effectu ally smooths and dresses off the side and top face of the dike. In this modified construction the leg 25 of the ditch track section has to be somewhat longer than the other form of machine in order to cause the emptying of the excavator bu ckets contents into the dumping bucket, which because of the space occupied by the scraper cannot travel rearwardly quite so far as when the scraper is not employed.

It is to be understood that the discharge brcket and scraper can be operated inde pendent of each other if desired, and, fr'rther more, the former may be wholly dispensed with in which case the digging bucket drops its contents on the dike while the scraper distributes the dirt on the (like and evens up its faces.

When I employ the additional scraper track section 83 adjustably hinged at 84 to the supplemental track section 53 and its inclined scraper 85 and truck or carriage 86 illustrated in the modification shown in Fig. 10 I am enabled to smooth off the back face of the dike or levee. This scraper 85 is inclined so that any surplus dirt is carried for wardly of the levee as it is being constructed, and to draw the scraper up its track, which needs to be done only occasionally, I provide a cable 87 fastened to the scraper carriage S6 and adapted to be manually attached to the trri ck 59 of the discharge bucket or shovel or to the truck 80 of scraper 82. As either of these trucks 59 or 80 is retracted scraper 85 is drawn up the embankment smoothing off its back face, its cable 87 during a portion of its travel passing over the guiding sheave or roller 88. Then cable 87 is detached from truck 59 or 80 as the case may be and scraper 85 slides down to the base of its track-way 83. By means of this construction all three faces of the dike may be dressed thus dispensing with manual labor for this purpose and considerably reducing operating ex penses. In many cases this latter scraper may not be needed since the dirt as dumped forms its own natural angle.

Various mechanical changes in this device will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it should be understood that my invention is not limited to the details of construction described except insofar as they are bucket which discharges the same upon the V dike, substantially as described.

2. In an excavator, the combination of a ditch track section, an excavating bucket traveling thereon, a hinged discharge track section, and a dumping bucket traveling thereon, said latter bucket being adapted to. receive the contents of said excavating bucket, convey the same along said discharge track section, and dump the same, substantially as described.

3. In an excavator, the combination of a ditch track section, an excavating bucket adapted to travel thereon, a hinged boom discharge track section, a supplemental track section hinged to said boom track section and adapted to extend over the dike, and a dumping bucket adapted to travel on said boom and supplemental track sections to receive the contents of said excavating bucket, convey the same along said discharge and supplemental track sections, and dump the same, substantially as described.

4. In an excavator, the combination of a ditch track section shaped to conform to the cross-sectional profile of the ditch to be dug, an excavating bucket adapted to travel on said ditch track section, means to reciprocate said bucket to and fro on said ditch track section, an adjustable hinged boom track section, a supplemental trac section hinged to said boom track section, a dumping bucket adapted to travel on said boom and supplemental track sections, and means to reciprocate said dumping bucket on said boom and supplemental track sections, the movements of said buckets being such that said excavating bucket discharges its contents into said dumping bucket, the latter conveying the same along the boom and supplemental track sections, and dumping the same, substan tially as described.-

5. In an excavator, the combination of a main frame adapted to extend over and travel longitudinally of the ditch to be dug, a vertically adjustable frame mounted in said main frame, a ditchtrack section conforming to the cross-sectional profile of the trench mounted on and movable With said vertically adjustable frame, an excavating bucket adapted to travel on said ditch track section, means to reciprocate said bucket on said track section, a discharge track section, a dumping bucket adapted to travel thereon, and means to reciprocate said dumping bucket on said discharge track section, the forward end of said ditch track section eX- tending over the rear end of said discharge track section and being provided with means to cause its excavating bucket to dump its contents, whereby said excavating bucket may remove dirt from the ditch and drop the same into said dumping bucket, the latter carrying the same to the dike and dumping it, substantially as described.

6. In a dike building machine, the combi nation of a support, a bucket adapted to travel thereon and dress a face of said dike, and means to operate said bucket substantially as described. A

7. In a dike building machine, the combination of an adjustable hinged track section, a bucket adapted to travel thereon and dress a face of said dike, and means to operate said bucket substantially as described.

8. In a dike building machine a vertically adjustable hinged track section, a supplemental adjustable track section hinged to said first mentioned track section, and a bucket adapted to travel on said track sections and dress a plurality of faces of the dike, substantially as described. 4

9. In a dike building machine, the combination of a track section, a scraper adapted to travel thereon and dress a face of said dike, and means to operate said scraper substantially as described.

10. In a dike building machine a track section, a bucket, and a scraper both adapted to travel on said track section and dress a face of said dike, substantially as described.

1].. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a ditch track section, a bucket adapted to travel thereon and remove dirt from the ditch, means to dump the contents of said bucket on the adjacent bank, a second track section, a scraper adapted to travel thereon, distribute the dirt so dumped to form a dike, and. smooth off one or more faces thereof, substantially as described.

12. A dike bu lding machine having one or more scrapers to smooth off all the faces of the dike, and means to operate said scraper or scrapers substantially as described.

13. In a dike building machine, the combination of a track section over the front face of the dike, a supplemental track section across the top of the dike, and a third track section over the back face of the dike, and means adapted to travel on said track sections to smooth off the faces of the dike, substantially as described.

CHARLES C. JACOBS.

Witnesses VVALTER M. FULLER, LOUIS T. hIANN. 

